THE Scottish Government has come under pressure to halt plans to close a Glasgow hospital and downgrade services in the west of Scotland.

The SNP was defeated in a vote in the Scottish Parliament which called on the health secretary to call in the controversial plan.

Labour called on the health secretary to call in the plans by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to shut Lightburn Hospital and close an in-patient service at the Centre for integrated Care at Gartnavel.

The motion was backed by the Tories, Greens and Libdems.

Proposals for closing and transferring maternity and children’s services in Vale of Leven and Inverclyde were also opposed.

An amendment by Health Secretary, Shona Robison was defeated by 64 to 62 votes.

Several Labour members, including leader Kezia Dugdale had rushed from the UK party conference in Liverpool to attend and vote in the debate.

Labour’s health spokesman Anas Sarwar, led the debate where he urged Ms Robison to state if she considered the plans ‘major service changes’ which would require them to be called in.

He said: “The decision of whether it’s a major service change rests with Scottish ministers. The buck stops with Shona Robison. It is vital the cabinet secretary calls in these proposals.”

Ms Robison said she would not shirk her responsibility and would make a decision when plans were sent to her.

She said: “when they come to me I will make the decision.”

She said the plans were out to consultation, and as such could change, and she would not prejudge them.

Mr Sarwar accused the SNP of having one position in communities and another in parliament.

He said: “The SNP is telling people their services are safe but here is telling us no decision has been made. He said that was “speaking with forked tongue”.

Patients and campaigners gathered outside the parliament to voice their opposition to the health board plans.

Gerry McCann, who has campaigned to keep Lightburn open, said nothing has changed in the five years since Nicola Sturgeon last prevented the hospital form closing.

He said: ““Five years on nothing has changed and the Lightburn remains as essential as ever. The campaign has attracted cross-party support and we fully expect that should the Health Board press ahead with their plans the current Health Secretary will call it in and, like her predecessor, overturn the Health Board decision.”

Katherine Crawford, Scotland Director at Parkinson’s UK “We should be proud of local facilities like the Lightburn and be investing in them, not closing them.”

Provan SNP MSP, Ivan McKee, whose constituency includes Lightburn, said the plans for closure were flawed.

He said: “The board fails to make the case for closure”

He added however that the Joint Integrated Board for health and social care in the city could use a planned £32m investment in community health facilities to situate its community health hub at Lightburn.